NAGOYA — Myanmar’s Wai Khin Hnin made Asian Games history Sunday after winning the inaugural women’s singles gold medal in teqball, a football-table tennis hybrid making its debut at the 2026 Games in Japan.
Wai Khin Hnin defeated Indonesia’s Sumaya 2-1 in the final at the Nagoya Games, winning 10-12, 12-8, 12-9 to claim the first women’s singles title in the sport’s Asian Games history.
Barcelona and Spain football legend Carles Puyol watched the final.
Wai Khin Hnin lost the opening set but rallied to win the next two and secure the gold medal.
“I’m delighted, I’m thankful to my head coach for believing in me and selecting me to play in the women’s singles. I believed that I could do it,” Wai Khin Hnin said.
“My next goal is to win the gold medal for Myanmar at the 2027 SEA Games,” she added.
Teqball makes Asian Games debut
Teqball combines football skills with elements of table tennis and sepak takraw. Players use their feet and other permitted body parts to send a ball over a curved table.
The sport originated in Hungary 14 years ago and has expanded internationally. It also featured at the 2023 European Games.
The inaugural Asian Games competition brought together athletes from different sporting backgrounds.
The Philippines fielded a young men’s team that included three 14-year-olds. Prince Agustin narrowly missed a medal after losing the men’s singles bronze-medal match against Myanmar’s Friday Saw.
Japan’s Takahiro Nodomi also competed after taking up teqball in his late 30s. The 40-year-old, who works as a comedian, previously played football through high school.
“I played football until high school, gave up, started teqball in my late 30s, and made it to this big stage at 40,” Nodomi said.
Indonesia’s Husni Uba brought experience from another sport. The 44-year-old represented Indonesia in sepak takraw at four previous Asian Games before competing in teqball in Nagoya.
“After I was done with the sepak takraw competition at the 2018 Asian Games I didn’t expect to be back again, especially for teqball,” Uba said.